UK recycling and waste management provider Biffa has invested £500,000 into a new hazardous soil treatment facility at its Merthyr Tydfil plant, to help reduce the amount of contaminated soil disposed of in landfill.
It marks the fifth plant of its kind in the UK following the technology’s successful installation at Biffa’s Skelton Grange, Redhill, Meece and Westmill sites. All have been delivered in partnership with soil remediation specialists Biogenie and represent an investment of more than £3m from Biffa into soil treatment innovation.
The treatment plants cleanse hazardous soil destined for landfill by removing contaminants using bioremediation, speeding up the natural degradation process to around 12 weeks.
Following treatment, the soil is beneficially reused as a restoration material at waste sites, allowing producers to avoid incurring landfill tax. This process is also a cost-efficient alternative to importing the external materials otherwise used to cover landfills and help return sites to local communities.
“Innovative methods like this free up capacity for waste that must be disposed of in the ground, as well as helping restore sites so they can become useable again in the future”
The Merthyr Tydfil plant is due to accept contaminated loads and begin operation from mid-August 2018.
Julian Holloway, commercial director at Biffa, said: “The waste industry is under considerable pressure to reduce its reliance on landfill, yet hazardous soil currently accounts for a significant percentage of UK site capacity. Innovative methods like this free up capacity for waste that must be disposed of in the ground, as well as helping restore sites so they can become useable again in the future.
“We’re proud to be at the forefront of innovation in waste recycling and the Merthyr Tydfil site is the latest in our longstanding partnership with Biogenie. Identifying further sites for upgrade will be a key focus for our business as we continuously look for ways we can help reduce UK landfill.”
Simon Walker, head of sales at Biogenie, said: “Our strategic partnership with Biffa began in 2005 with the establishment of the UK’s first soil treatment facility and we’re proud to continue this innovative partnership with the opening of our fifth UK site.
“The opening of our Merthyr Tydfil site will give us unrivalled geographic coverage in England & Wales to provide clients with a circular economy for sustainable, fully compliant and crucially, landfill tax-free off-site treatment of a range of hazardous wastes.”
Biffa, in partnership with Biogenie, operates the largest number of treatment plants in the UK.
